1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to dentistry and, more particularly, to dental prophylaxis for animals.
For humans, the American Dental Association recommends that individuals have a dental exam and cleaning at least once per year. The regular cleaning and removal of plaque is known to reduce the possibility of developing gum disease. By routine brushing and flossing, humans are able to offset the potential for the development of gum disease and other types of dental maladies.
Unfortunately, animals owned as pets (i.e., cats and dogs) are not able to routinely clean their teeth on their own. The animal's teeth may begin to discolor and their gums may become swollen and inflamed if proper cleaning is not administered. In addition, an unhealthy mouth can lead to the animal having odorous breath. The pet owner may then schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to perform a thorough teeth cleaning.
However, one of the problems relating to scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian is that some pet owners are unable to schedule the appointments for various reasons such as time, availability, and financial limitations. The cost for performing regular teeth cleanings on the animal may not be affordable for the pet owner. As such, the pet owner may then forego the necessary teeth cleaning for the animal, thus placing the animal at risk for future dental problems. As the animal get older, lack of proper teeth cleaning may escalate into larger dental problems that are even more costly to attend to.
If the pet owner does take the animal to the veterinarian for teeth cleaning, the animal may not tolerate the teeth cleaning procedure. The animal may dislike the process and not tolerate the cleaning long enough for a complete cleaning of all their teeth. The veterinarian may then resort to securing the animal in place while the teeth cleaning process is accomplished. However, this may provide additional stress on the animal and further increase cost to the pet owner.
If the animal is still unable to allow the teeth cleaning process to be completed, use of an anesthetic may be required to sedate the animal. If the anesthetic is used, risk to the animal's health may arise. The anesthetic may increase the risk of kidney damage occurring. In addition, if the anesthetic is not properly administered, or if an allergic reaction occurs, death of the animal may even occur.
There remains a need to remove plaque, tartar, stains and even food that has been lodged in between the animal's teeth. Also, there remains a need for teeth cleaning for aesthetic reasons. The pet owner may desire that their pet's teeth look nice and that their breath should emit less odor.
Currently available animal treats being sold are designed to help clean the animal's teeth while they are eaten. If the treats are eaten too quickly they are ineffective in removing plaque, dental stains, and food debris.
Because of most animal's unwillingness to tolerate touching their mouth, let alone trying to clean their teeth, most pet owners are utterly unable to do so. Even a simple brushing of the teeth is beyond the capability of most pet owners. Still, there remains a need for periodic lower cost effective cleaning of an animals teeth that can be readily accomplished by a pet owner.
If a pet owner were to obtain a dental cleaning tool, such as a sickle blade or a scaler blade, and attempt to use it to clean their pet's teeth, there is risk of applying excessive force and damaging the teeth.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a dental maintenance kit that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and that are not specifically mentioned herein.
As various embodiments of the instant invention help provide a more elegant solution to the various problems and difficulties as mentioned herein, or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein, and by a showing that a similar benefit is not available by mere reliance upon the teachings of relevant prior art, the instant invention attests to its novelty. Therefore, by helping to provide a more elegant solution to various needs, some of which may be long-standing in nature, the instant invention further attests that the elements thereof, in combination as claimed, cannot be obvious in light of the teachings of the prior art to a person of ordinary skill and creativity.
Clearly, a dental maintenance kit for animals would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Dental maintenance for animals is in general known. For example, toothbrushes specifically designed for animals and tartar cleaning treats are known. These items are designed to address superficial and cosmetic teeth cleaning. These items do not include a specific selection of tools and materials that enable a pet owner to perform a more comprehensive cleaning or remove debris or particles from between teeth which may cause discomfort or inflammation of the gums.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.